Symphony, Suite and Slides

Transcription

1 2017 SEASON Symphony, Suite and Slides Rachmaninoff s Third MEET THE MUSIC Wednesday 5 April, 6.30pm THURSDAY AFTERNOON SYMPHONY Thursday 6 April, 1.30pm

2 concert diary CLASSICAL Rachmaninoff s Third Symphony, Suite & Slides RACHMANINOFF Symphony No.3 VINE Five Hallucinations for trombone and orchestra AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE WAGNER Die Meistersinger: Suite Mark Wigglesworth conductor Michael Mulcahy trombone (pictured) Elgar s Cello Concerto KNUSSEN The Way to Castle Yonder ELGAR Cello Concerto VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Symphony No.5 Robert Spano conductor Harriet Krijgh cello (pictured) Tchaikovsky s Pathétique WAGNER Rienzi: Overture PROKOFIEV Violin Concerto No.1 TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No.6, Pathétique Andris Poga conductor Baiba Skride violin (pictured) Beethoven s Wind Octet Cocktail Hour SCHUMANN ARR. OGUEY Morning Songs, Op.133 BEETHOVEN Wind Octet Musicians of the SSO Meet the Music Wed 5 Apr 6.30pm Thursday Afternoon Symphony Thu 6 Apr 1.30pm Thursday Afternoon Symphony Thu 20 Apr 1.30pm Emirates Metro Series Fri 21 Apr 8pm Great Classics Sat 22 Apr 2pm APT Master Series Wed 10 May 8pm Fri 12 May 8pm Sat 13 May 8pm 7 Mon 15 May 7pm Cocktail Hour Sat 13 May 6pm Cocktails from 5.30pm Utzon Room, Sydney Opera House Nobuyuki Tsujii plays Chopin BERLIOZ Le Corsaire - Overture CHOPIN Piano Concerto No.2 DVOŘÁK Symphony No.8 Bramwell Tovey conductor Nobuyuki Tsujii piano (pictured) Nobuyuki Tsujii in Recital JS BACH Italian Concerto, BWV 971 MOZART Sonata in B flat, K570 BEETHOVEN Moonlight Sonata, Op.27 No.2 BEETHOVEN Appassionata Sonata, Op.57 Nobuyuki Tsujii piano Morning Inspiration Mozart & Haydn in the City HAYDN Symphony No.6, Morning MOZART ARR. HAVERON String Quintet in G minor, K516, for violin, viola and orchestra Andrew Haveron violin-director Roger Benedict viola (pictured) Emirates Metro Series Fri 19 May 8pm Special Event Sat 20 May 8pm A BMW Season Highlight Special Event Mon 22 May 7pm City Recital Hall Mozart in the City Thu 25 May 7pm City Recital Hall sydneysymphony.com Mon Fri 9am 5pm sydneyoperahouse.com Mon Sat 9am 8.30pm Sun 10am 6pm cityrecitalhall.com Mon Fri 9am Sun 5pm

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4 2017 CONCERT SEASON MEET THE MUSIC WEDNESDAY 5 APRIL, 6.30PM THURSDAY AFTERNOON SYMPHONY THURSDAY 6 APRIL, 1.30PM SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE CONCERT HALL SYMPHONY, SUITE AND SLIDES Mark Wigglesworth conductor Michael Mulcahy trombone SERGEI RACHMANINOFF ( ) Symphony No.3 in A minor, Op.44 Lento Allegro moderato Adagio ma non troppo Allegro vivace Allegro INTERVAL CARL VINE (born 1954) Five Hallucinations for trombone and orchestra I smell the unicorn The lemonade speaks Mama wants some cookies The Doppelgänger Hexagons in pink australian premiere Thursday afternoon s performance will be recorded by ABC Classic FM for broadcast on Sunday 9 April at noon. Pre-concert talk by Jim Coyle in the Northern Foyer 45 minutes before each performance. Estimated durations: 42 minutes, 20-minute interval, 22 minutes, 20 minutes The concert will conclude at approximately 8.20pm (Wed), 3.20pm (Thu) Five Hallucinations was commissioned by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra with the generous support of Geoff Ainsworth am and Johanna Featherstone, and Kim Williams am. RICHARD WAGNER ( ) Orchestral highlights from Die Meistersinger Introduction to Act III Dance of the Apprentices Procession of the Mastersingers Prelude to Act I

5 LEBRECHT MUSIC & ARTS KAREN STEAINS 2008 LEBRECHT MUSIC & ARTS From left: in 1929, not long after Rachmaninoff began composing again, Boris Chaliapin, son of the great Russian bass Feodor Chaliapin, painted this portrait; Carl Vine; portrait of Wagner by Giuseppe Tivoli (1883). A scene from Wagner s comic opera Die Meistersinger. Walter (left) sings while the black-clad Beckmesser (Wagner s caricature of a music critic) gleefully chalks up each error and departure from the rules that will disqualify the young knight from the song contest. Meanwhile, apprentices dance and the beautiful Eva listens from a curtained booth. 6

6 INTRODUCTION Symphony, Suite and Slides This week s performances offer a program in the classic Meet the Music profile: combining familiar pieces with less well-known works, matching the old and the new, and featuring an Australian composer or soloist or in this case both. Conductor Mark Wigglesworth has chosen to begin with Rachmaninoff s Third Symphony, which dates from the 1930s, after the Russian living in exile in America had made time in his performance schedule to return to composing. It s boldly conceived music, full of new rhythmic vitality and marvellous orchestral colours, but also very direct in its emotional expression. There are, unsurprisingly, moments of nostalgia, especially in the allusions to Russian Orthodox liturgical music in the mysterious opening motto theme, and in two of Rachmaninoff s musical trademarks: references to bells and the quotation of the Dies Irae chant in the thrilling finale. For nearly 30 years, Australian trombonist Michael Mulcahy has played in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, one of the world s top ensembles, and it was a co-commission from the CSO and the SSO that brought about Carl Vine s new trombone concerto, inspired by the writings of neurologist Oliver Sacks, in particular his book Hallucinations. (Vine, who majored in physics before swapping to music, has said: If I had my life over, I would have studied neurology. ) Each of the five Hallucinations in the concerto has a suitably mind-bending title, drawn from a phrase in the book, ending with a spectacular vision of pink hexagons. This program is upside down by current conventions, but there was a time when it was common to begin with the most substantial work on the program perhaps to ensure musicians and listeners would be at their freshest? Then, after interval, a concerto, and finally something lighter in the form of an overture or suite. In this concert, Wagner takes final place with orchestral highlights from his comic opera Die Meistersinger, and it s the rousing pomp of the Act I prelude that promises to send you home with a spring in your step. PLEASE SHARE Programs grow on trees help us be environmentally responsible and keep ticket prices down by sharing your program with your companion. READ IN ADVANCE You can also read SSO program books on your computer or mobile device by visiting our online program library in the week leading up to the concert: sydneysymphony.com/ program_library 7

7 ABOUT THE MUSIC Rachmaninoff Symphony No.3 in A minor, Op.44 Lento Allegro moderato Adagio ma non troppo Allegro vivace Allegro The Romantic melancholy that is supposed to pervade Rachmaninoff s music is not at all the over-riding emotion of his Third Symphony. Rather this, his first symphonic essay since 1908, is rhythmically taut, melodically suave and, harmonically, relatively astringent. It may be enough to say, in other words, that it does not inhabit the same lush world as that of, say, the Second Piano Concerto. But that is to short-change both works. Any composer s musical development is complex to trace: Rachmaninoff s was waylaid and irrevocably altered by personal upheaval and a major shift in his musical career. The Opus 39 Etudes tableaux of 1917, his last major work for solo piano before leaving Russia, point the way towards a Keynotes RACHMANINOFF Born Oneg (Novgorod region), 1873 Died Beverly Hills CA, 1943 Before leaving Russia for good in 1917, Rachmaninoff had composed two symphonies, three piano concertos, and several substantial orchestral works. After settling in the West, he shifted his attention to building a career as a concert pianist and composed much less. The Third Symphony dates from his time in America. SYMPHONY NO.3 Rachmaninoff was convinced that the Third Symphony was a good work many have gone further, to suggest that it was one of his best works, original and subtle. But it was coolly received at its first performances in 1936, perhaps because it didn t inhabit the same lush world as the wildly popular Second Piano Concerto. Only subsequently did audiences gain an appreciation for the way in which Rachmaninoff combines passionate expression with a new transparency of sound. The symphony is in three movements rather than the expected four, with the central movement doing duty as both a slow movement and a lively scherzo. The music is often restless, especially in the finale, in which the mood changes frequently and there is an overall sense of rhythmic drive. 8

8 newer style inimitably rhapsodic, yes, but much broader in its emotional implications, particularly in fleet-footed musical settings, than in many of his earlier works. A considerable span of years would elapse before he would follow this new direction more fully. Now 44 years old, his decision to settle in the West specifically, at least for the time being, the United States meant a flight from his homeland with his family, the loss of his estate and Russian assets and a seismic career shift from principally composer and conductor to concert pianist. The massive effort involved in the creation of a new life for himself was not conducive to the creation of new music. Through a combination of the new discipline required to maintain his performing career, a frenetic performance schedule and the effort involved in acclimatising to a new culture while lamenting the one he left behind, he also made it known that he was incapable of composition. How can I compose without melody? he told his friend, fellow composer Nicholas Medtner. To a correspondent he wrote: To begin something new seems unattainably difficult. Yet beneath this facade of despair he never gave up on the idea of composing, and in the 1925/26 concert season gave himself a sabbatical. Always paranoiacally insecure about his own music, Rachmaninoff began work on his Fourth Piano Concerto in secret during this self-imposed exile from the concert platform. But the failure of this work with public and critics led to another long period of silence, broken five years later with the Variations on a Theme of Corelli, his first solo piano work composed in the West. This too failed to find an audience, but in 1934 he finally created a piece of great public and critical appeal, with his Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, and, on a rare compositional high, began work on the Third Symphony in June Rachmaninoff was described by Stravinsky as a very old composer. In the 1930s he was what might be called a progressive conservative. Had he repeated himself created replicas of his old pre-revolutionary hits such as the Second and Third Concertos and the Second Symphony his American audiences would probably have been delighted. But he re-thought his musical language in a manner that alienated both audiences and critics. The supple, gently pulsating melody which opens this symphony s first movement, for example, is a case study of the subtleties in the work that puzzled its first audiences and annoyed critics. (Rachmaninoff was a fine conductor, too, and, in his recording of this work, he brings to this theme a uniquely breathing rubato.) Personally, I m convinced that [the Third Symphony] is a good work. But sometimes composers are mistaken too! Be that as it may, I am holding to my opinion so far. RACHMANINOFF, WRITING TO HIS FRIEND VLADIMIR WILSHAW IN

9 The twin gods of contemporary music, Stravinsky and Schoenberg, had made the critical fraternity impatient with a composer who used a highly chromatic tonal idiom to convey emotional expression, no matter how subtly. The passage that leads to the next major melodic idea suggests that we are going to be treated to a full-blown Romantic love theme. But the gently lyrical, artfully shaped theme we hear confounds these expectations. The development section likewise, with the thematic fragments darting hither and thither with great rhythmic freedom between the bassoons, the percussion, muted trumpets and the quick march for the strings, is hardly the Rachmaninoff of old. Still, nobody was listening. The piece received reviews ranging from the hostile to the polite in the USA; then, after its London premiere, the critic Richard Capell referred to Rachmaninoff building palaces that nobody wanted to live in. Of course Rachmaninoff was not interested in being up to date, and in fact expressed a general disdain for new music, but the Third Symphony illustrates that he had his own internal impulses that made it impossible for him to stagnate. The first movement is constructed in a highly conventional sonata form there is even an exposition repeat (not always observed). The innovations here lie in the newer, subtler quality of his harmonic 10

10 ideas, a much greater freedom in his writing for the woodwind, brass and percussion instruments, and the interplay he creates between them. The second movement is a different matter. Here Rachmaninoff telescopes the idea of slow movement and scherzo together with great beauty and vividness, beginning with a rhapsodic succession of short lyrical ideas a Bardic transformation of the first movement s main theme for solo horn with harp accompaniment, then the slow movement s main theme for solo violin, which is in turn given to the flute, to be worked out passionately by the strings. It might appear at first hearing that he divides the movement neatly in half, as a scurrying passage on the strings introduces a figure of martial demeanour (that actually alternates between duple and triple metre). But the lyrical music returns by way of a brilliant tremolo passage. There is tremendous passion here but scored with great clarity and precision. This transparency of sound, which now seems so captivating in Rachmaninoff s later music, seemed only to bewilder the work s first audiences. The finale of the Second Symphony found Rachmaninoff in unbuttoned mood and the Third Symphony s finale opens in the same spirit. But the succession of ideas is rapid and restless, now epically Romantic (a gorgeous lyrical theme for strings divisi) now gently comic (a characterful bassoon solo), now propulsive (a dashing fugue). It soon becomes clear that rhythmic drive and orchestral virtuosity are Rachmaninoff s greatest interests here. In fact you might leave this concert remembering how much swiftly-moving music this symphony contains relative to its length. Certainly, the third movement s final pages, rhythmically scintillating and scored with enormous skill, are a superb demonstration of how vital a composer Rachmaninoff was in his 60s. It was his tragedy to be writing this piece at so unresponsive a historical moment four years would pass before he could summon the courage to bring another major work, his Symphonic Dances, before the public. Rachmaninoff was not interested in being up to date but he had his own internal impulses that made it impossible for him to stagnate. ADAPTED FROM A NOTE BY PHILLIP SAMETZ 2003 Rachmaninoff s Third Symphony calls for two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, cor anglais, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons and contrabassoon; four horns, two trumpets, alto trumpet, three trombones and tuba; timpani and percussion (bass drum, cymbal, snare drum, triangle, tam-tam, xylophone); harp, celesta and strings. The SSO gave the first Australian performance of the symphony in 1955, conducted by Eugene Goossens. The most recent performance was in 2011, conducted by Edo de Waart. 11

11 Carl Vine Five Hallucinations for trombone and orchestra I smell the unicorn The lemonade speaks Mama wants some cookies The Doppelgänger Hexagons in pink Michael Mulcahy trombone The composer writes In his book Hallucinations, the acclaimed British-American neurologist Oliver Sacks chronicles a wide range of hallucinatory conditions reported by his patients throughout his illustrious career. I have chosen five of those cases as the inspiration for this concerto, creating an imaginary musical representation of each mental state. These particular hallucinations were comparatively benign for those who experienced them, and in some cases were positively welcome. Hallucinations are fascinating phenomena instantaneous random inventions of our brains overlaid on the sensation of common reality and indistinguishable from it. Many of us will experience them in some way during our lives. When we sleep for example, we are aware that our brain is in free flight and its muddled dream scenarios are not real. On the edges of sleep however, we can confuse random mental impressions with reality, and are hallucinating. A typical example is hearing one s name spoken by an unknown person; another is when the tail end of a dream impinges on perceived reality. Sufferers of brain damage or a range of neurological disorders regularly hallucinate. Others without mental illness but under great stress or fatigue can also hallucinate, as of course can those who use psychotropic drugs. It is this bridge between the real world and some of the surprising ways in which our brains interpret the mundane reality around us that I find endlessly fascinating. The hallucinations: 1. I smell the unicorn One of Sacks patients frequently hears complete sentences spoken outside herself while drifting off to sleep. The phrases have no special personal meaning, and bear witness to the extraordinary and unexpected creative power of the brain as it freewheels into sleep. 2. The lemonade speaks Hearing voices is a hallucination common in schizophrenia, especially as threats or curses. Less threatening versions may be experienced by just about anybody on waking up, either disembodied Carl Vine KAREN STEAINS

12 or from inanimate objects. In this case an effervescent beverage has discovered the power of speech. What it says is not clear. 3. Mama wants some cookies Sufferers of Charles Bonnet Syndrome often hallucinate text or other visual material superimposed repeatedly across their entire field of vision. The sentence Mama wants some cookies is actually another auditory hallucination like unicorn above, but I ve used some poetic licence to imagine that incongruous sentence as text filling one s entire visible world. 4. The Doppelgänger Many people have experienced the sense of being followed when it is clear that it isn t happening. A special version of this hallucination is the sense of being followed by oneself a permanent mirror aping one s every motion, and in extreme cases affording such close identification with the simulacrum that the individual swaps places with the Doppelgänger (literally double goer ). 5. Hexagons in pink Hallucinating repeated visual patterns like arabesques and hexagons is common to many conditions including extreme migraine and the use of psychotropic drugs, and can be detected, for instance, in the repetitive decorations on Persian rugs. Losing control of one s visible universe to a randomly reinvented geometrical animation can be disturbing, but it can also be pleasurable. CARL VINE 2016 The orchestra for Five Hallucinations comprises two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, cor anglais, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons and contrabassoon; four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani and two percussionists; harp and strings. Five Hallucinations was commissioned by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Edward F Schmidt Family Commissioning Fund) and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra with the generous support of Geoff Ainsworth am and Johanna Featherstone, and Kim Williams am. It was written for and is dedicated to trombonist Michael Mulcahy and was premiered by him with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and James Gaffigan on 6 October These are the first Australian performances. * * * * About the composer Carl Vine ao is one of Australia s best-known and most frequently performed composers, with an impressive orchestral catalogue featuring seven symphonies and 11 concertos. His piano music is performed worldwide and recordings of his music on more than 60 albums play regularly on Australian radio. (The SSO has recorded his first six symphonies.) He has also composed an extensive range of chamber music alongside various works for film, television, dance and theatre. Although primarily a composer Oliver Sacks MARS HILL CHURCH SEATTLE 13

13 of modern art music, he has undertaken such diverse tasks as arranging the Australian National Anthem and writing music for the Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games (Atlanta, 1996). Born in Perth, he studied piano with Stephen Dornan and composition with John Exton at the University of Western Australia. Moving to Sydney in 1975, he worked as a freelance pianist and composer with a wide range of ensembles, theatre and dance companies over the following decades. Since 2000, Carl Vine has been the Artistic Director of Musica Viva Australia, the world s largest presenter and promoter of chamber music. Since 2006, he has also been the Artistic Director of the Huntington Estate Music Festival, Australia s most prestigious chamber music event. Amongst his most acclaimed scores are Mythologia (2000), Piano Sonata (1990) and Poppy (1978) for the Sydney Dance Company, and his Choral Symphony (No.6, 1996) for the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. In addition to Five Hallucinations, his most recent compositions include Wonder for Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, Our Sons for the Australian Chamber Orchestra, and Concerto for Orchestra for the WASO. In 2014 Carl Vine was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia. SYMPHONY SERVICES INTERNATIONAL Clocktower Square, Shops Harrington Street, The Rocks 2000 Telephone (02) Facsimile (02) Clocktower Square, Argyle Street, The Rocks NSW 2000 GPO Box 4972, Sydney NSW 2001 Telephone (02) Box Office (02) Facsimile (02) All rights reserved, no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication, we cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions. Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright material prior to printing. Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor: program.editor@sydneysymphony.com Sydney Opera House Trust Mr Nicholas Moore Chair The Hon Helen Coonan Mr Matthew Fuller Ms Brenna Hobson Mr Chris Knoblanche am Ms Deborah Mailman Mr Peter Mason am Ms Catherine Powell Ms Jillian Segal am Mr Phillip Wolanski am Executive Management Louise Herron am Chief Executive Officer Timothy Calnin Director, Performing Arts Natasha Collier Chief Financial Officer Michelle Dixon Director, Safety, Security & Risk Katy McDonald Director, People & Culture Jade McKellar Director, Visitor Experience Greg McTaggart Director, Building Brook Turner Director, Engagement & Development SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE Administration (02) Bennelong Point Box Office (02) GPO Box 4274 Facsimile (02) Sydney NSW 2001 Website sydneyoperahouse.com This is a PLAYBILL / SHOWBILL publication. Playbill Proprietary Limited / Showbill Proprietary Limited ACN ABN Head Office: Suite A, Level 1, Building 16, Fox Studios Australia, Park Road North, Moore Park NSW 2021 PO Box 410, Paddington NSW 2021 Telephone: Fax: admin@playbill.com.au Website: Chairman & Advertising Director Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD Managing Director Michael Nebenzahl Editorial Director Jocelyn Nebenzahl Manager Production Classical Music Alan Ziegler Operating in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart & Darwin All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address. Entire concept copyright. Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is prohibited. Title Playbill is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited. By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony, this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher s consent in writing. It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of binding or cover than that in which it was published, or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page of this publication / S27/28 PAPER PARTNER 14

14 Richard Wagner Orchestral highlights from Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg) Introduction to Act III Dance of the Apprentices Procession of the Mastersingers Prelude to Act I The four movements are played without pause Orchestral Wagner Wagner s preferred term for opera was music drama and he pursued an artistic goal of Gesamtkunstwerk or the complete work of art. For him the integration of music (vocal and instrumental), text and every aspect of staging into a unified art form was allimportant. He brought this vision to full realisation in the four music dramas that make up his Ring cycle. So for some music-lovers the presentation of music from Wagner s operas as orchestral highlights without singers flies in the face of the composer s own artistic goals. The practice has a long tradition, however, beginning with Wagner himself, who approved specific excerpts for concert performance. In the 19th century, before the existence of recordings, concert excerpts would have allowed more people to hear the music. Many conductors and arrangers since have prepared concert highlights and orchestral suites, and even ambitious symphonic narratives. In many cases as in this concert concert suites are drawn from those parts of Wagner s operas that were purely, or principally, orchestral to begin with: preludes, dances and interludes. And so they provide an opportunity to focus on the imagination and symphonic character of Wagner s marvellous orchestral writing. In this concert Mark Wigglesworth has chosen to perform the published suite of excerpts from Act III, arranged by Wouter Hutschenruyter ( ), making a seamless transition into the Prelude to Act I. The Prelude to Act III sets a decidedly un-comical tone, its subdued opening blossoming to music of solemn nobility, suggestive of spiritual happiness through renunciation. The music shifts to Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer mode with the Dance of the Apprentices. The mood is merry and the scene is populated by apprentices and tradesmen: the middle classes from whom the mastersingers are drawn. Never mind that the waltz wasn t danced in the 16th century! The Procession of the Mastersingers then returns to the wonderful pomp and grandeur first heard in the Prelude to Act I, which concludes these highlights Keynotes WAGNER Born Leipzig, 1813 Died Venice, 1883 As a composer of opera, writer and conductor, Richard Wagner was one of the most influential creative personalities of his generation. He was also one of the most controversial: a composer who polarised listeners even as he changed the nature of opera (or music drama ) forever. He cultivated an almost symphonic conception of opera, and his monumental creations were sustained by longrange harmonic thinking. One of his most important contributions to music was the ingenious linking of musical motifs (Leitmotiven or leading motifs ) to specific characters and situations; the influence of this technique continues to be profoundly felt in most film soundtracks. DIE MEISTERSINGER The Mastersingers of Nuremberg (1867) is Wagner s only comic opera and is regarded by many as his masterpiece. The story is set in the 16th century and concerns a song festival held by the Mastersingers Guild. Walther, a young knight, is in love with Eva, whose father has promised her hand to the winner of the song contest. According to the Mastersingers rules, Walther is eliminated on his first attempt at a song. Fortunately, Hans Sachs, the philosophical, middle-aged cobbler who comes to realise that his own suit with Eva is hopeless, assists Walther in composing a prize song. This song is so inspired it sweeps away the Guild s obsession with rules. The young knight wins the contest and Eva becomes his bride. 15

15 Richard Wagner by Franz Hanfstaengl, 1871 The Music of Die Meistersinger Richard Wagner was never one to do things by halves. So it is not altogether surprising that his comic opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg) should turn out to be well over four hours long and include no fewer than 17 named roles, one of which, Hans Sachs, is one of the largest and most challenging in all opera. That said, Wagner did not set out to write a monumental work with a hugely demanding principal part. Like many of his projects, Meistersinger sat at the back of his mind for a good number of years, gradually making its way to the front when he felt that the time was right. It ended up being the second of two works that he wrote (the first was Tristan und Isolde) when he broke off work on the epic Der Ring des Nibelungen to devote his time to smaller projects that might have some chance of being staged in conventional opera houses (he was saving the four-part Ring for a specially built festival theatre). But whereas he dashed off Tristan in a couple of years, Meistersinger took no less than six. Completed in 1867, it was premiered to rapturous acclaim in Munich the following year. Part of the reason why Meistersinger proved a challenge to Wagner is that it is set in a real place, Nuremberg, at a specific time, the mid-16th century, involving people who actually existed, such as the aforementioned Hans Sachs, and a musical tradition that likewise existed, the poet-composer mastersinger tradition. 16

16 The difficulty for Wagner was to come up with a musical idiom that referenced, to some degree, the conventions of 16th-century music while also adhering to the musico-dramatic requirements of a modern opera with full orchestral accompaniment. Also, in writing a comedy, Wagner had to lighten up his normally intense musical language and attend to the crucial matter of comic timing. One of the things that is noticeable in Meistersinger and we hear it right from the start of the Prelude to Act I is the reasonably clean harmonic palette. The Prelude opens in a blaze of resplendent and unambiguous C major. It also opens with a big tune and, remarkably for Wagner, one that makes no attempt to subvert its time signature (it is in a march-like 4/4). In the course of the opera this grand and imposing theme will be associated with the mastersingers guild, an elite association of poet-composers (Procession of the Mastersingers). Also noticeable in Meistersinger is Wagner s use of counterpoint the art of combining different melodies at the same time which is one of the ways in which he casts a nod in the direction of music of the 16th century. There are three main themes in the Prelude one of which is Walther s prize song and at one point (about two thirds of the way through) Wagner executes a stunning coup when he superimposes all three. Another of Wagner s self-consciously archaic touches appears in the Dance of the Apprentices in Act III. Here he makes use of a drone bass, which is a very simple and unsophisticated accompaniment type. It is also a very ancient technique. While lacking in regal splendour (these are apprentices after all, not masters), the Dance of the Apprentices is full of naive charm and winning simplicity. Meistersinger reaches its climax in a song contest in which a young and charismatic upstart, Walther von Stolzing, wins the hearts of his listeners and the hand of the woman he loves, Eva. But the hero of the opera is the somewhat older and wiser mastersinger, Hans Sachs, one of the adjudicators of the song contest. Early in Act III Sachs delivers one of the key scenes in the opera, the Wahn monologue. Here he ruminates on the extent to which Wahn (which can mean both illusion and madness ) impacts upon our lives and on the workings of our communities. Sachs s monologue is a serious and reflective episode, and the dramatic function of the Prelude to Act III is to establish the solemn and thoughtful mood. Wagner at this point deepens the character of Sachs and deepens the opera as a whole. The happy ending will come, but not just yet. ROBERT GIBSON 2014 (THE MUSIC OF DIE MEISTERSINGER) OTHER NOTES SYDNEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA/SYMPHONY AUSTRALIA The central role in Die Meistersinger is the historical figure Hans Sachs ( ): poet, playwright, shoemaker and mastersinger (engraving by Micheal Ostendorfer, 1545) The orchestra for these highlights comprises two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, two clarinets and two bassoons; four horns, three trumpets, three trombones and tuba; timpani and percussion; harp and strings. The SSO first performed music by Wagner in concert as early as 1933, when the Brahms and Wagner Festival was conducted by Bernard Heinze. More recently, we have performed orchestral highlights from Die Meistersinger in the Wagner Madness program conducted by Nicholas Carter in 2013, and Simone Young conducted the Act I Prelude in Wagner Under the Sails, our recreation in 2012 of the official opening concert of the Sydney Opera House in

17 MORE MUSIC RACHMANINOFF SYMPHONIES Former SSO chief conductor Edo de Waart has recorded the three Rachmaninoff symphonies and The Rock with the Rotterdam Symphony Orchestra. Available in a 2-CD Philips DUO release. PHILIPS For the complete Rachmaninoff symphonies and concertos there s a 5-CD Deutsche Grammophon Collectors Edition set with pianist Tamás Vásáry and Yuri Ahronovitch conducting the London Symphony Orchestra in the concertos, and Lorin Maazel conducting the Berlin Philharmonic in the symphonies and orchestral works. DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON Or to hear the composer himself conducting the Third Symphony (with the Philadelphia Orchestra) look for the 10-disc historical set Sergei Rachmaninoff: Complete RCA Recordings, which also features Rachmaninoff as pianist in his concertos and concert repertoire. RCA CARL VINE The Sydney Symphony Orchestra has recorded Carl Vine s first six symphonies and Celebrare Celeberrime with conductors Edo de Waart and Stuart Challender, Synergy Percussion and the Sydney Philharmonia Motet Choir. As Vine describes the cycle: they trace concisely the evolution that brought him back to the original symphonic tradition that modernity temporarily curtailed. ABC CLASSICS For more recordings of Carl Vine s music visit his website: ORCHESTRAL WAGNER For a comprehensive collection of Wagner highlights at an excellent price, you can t go past the 5-CD set Ultimate Wagner. Featuring important vocal scenes as well as preludes and orchestral interludes, it s a great place to begin exploring Die Meistersinger and other major Wagner operas. DECCA If you ve heard the SSO perform The Ring An Orchestral Adventure and enjoyed Henk de Vlieger s symphonic approach to bringing Wagner into the concert hall, you might like his Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg An Orchestral Tribute, recorded by Neeme Järvi and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, together with some intriguing Wagner rarities. CHANDOS 5092 MARK WIGGLESWORTH Among Mark Wigglesworth s recent releases is a pairing of Shostakovich s first and final symphonies, performed by the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra part of a complete Shostakovich symphony cycle. BIS 1643 With Stephen Hough and the Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra he has recorded the two Brahms piano concertos. HYPERION And you can hear him conducting the SSO on the album Arcadia Lost in Britten s Sinfonia da Requiem and music by Vaughan Williams: Flos campi with violist Roger Benedict and Cantillation, and The Lark Ascending with violinist Michael Dauth. MELBA MR Broadcast Diary April abc.net.au/classic Sunday 9 April, noon SYMPHONY, SUITE & SLIDES See this program for details. Saturday 15 April, noon YOUNG RUSSIANS Gustavo Gimeno conductor Daniil Trifonov piano Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich Friday 21 April, noon SYMPHONY FOR THE COMMON MAN Benjamin Northey conductor Simon Tedeschi piano Ford, Rachmaninoff, Copland SSO Radio Selected SSO performances, as recorded by the ABC, are available on demand: sydneysymphony.com/sso_radio SYDNEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA HOUR Tuesday 11 April, 6pm Musicians and staff of the SSO talk about the life of the orchestra and forthcoming concerts. Hosted by Andrew Bukenya. finemusicfm.com 18

18 COMING UP with your SSO RACHMANINOFF PIANO CONCERTOS The Rach 2 Piano Concerto No.2 Rachmaninoff s Second Concerto possibly the most popular piano concerto of all time will be played by stunning Chinese-American pianist George Li. ADAMS The Chairman Dances RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No.2 PROKOFIEV Symphony No.5 DAVID ROBERTSON conductor GEORGE LI piano THU 31 AUG / 1.30PM EMIRATES METRO SERIES FRI 1 SEP / 8PM SPECIAL EVENT SAT 2 SEP / 2PM SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE Rachmaninoff on Fire Piano Concerto No.3 The Third Concerto, well known from the film Shine, is a virtuoso tour de force! Featuring Australian Piers Lane as soloist. SIBELIUS Scene with Cranes from Kuolema DEAN Fire Music RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No.3 BRETT DEAN conductor PIERS LANE piano WED 18 OCT / 6.30PM THU 19 OCT / 1.30PM EMIRATES METRO SERIES FRI 20 OCT / 8PM SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE TICKETS FROM $39* sydneysymphony.com OR CALL MON FRI 9AM 5PM TICKETS ALSO AVAILABLE AT: SYDNEYOPERAHOUSE.COM Mon Sat 9am 8.30pm Sun 10am 6pm ALL CONCERTS AT THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE * Selected performances. Prices correct at time of publication and subject to change. Booking fees of $5-$8.95 may apply depending on method of booking. 19

19 THE ARTISTS BEN EALOVEGA Mark Wigglesworth conductor Born in Sussex, England, Mark Wigglesworth studied music at Manchester University and conducting at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Shortly after leaving the RAM, he won the Kondrashin International Conducting Competition, and since then has forged enduring relationships with many top-level orchestras and opera houses worldwide in repertoire ranging from Mozart to Tippett. While still a student, he formed The Premiere Ensemble, committed to performing a new piece in every program. In 1992 he became Associate Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and subsequent appointments have included Principal Guest Conductor of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. In addition to concerts with most of the British orchestras, he has conducted throughout Europe, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, La Scala Filarmonica Milan, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia Orchestra Rome, Stockholm Philharmonic, Gothenburg Symphony, Oslo Philharmonic, Finnish Radio Symphony, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra, Salzburg Camerata and the Budapest Festival Orchestra. In North America he has conducted the Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony and the Chicago, Montreal, Toronto and Boston symphony orchestras. He regularly visits the Minnesota Orchestra and also has a continuing relationship with the New World Symphony in Miami. Mark Wigglesworth began his operatic career as Music Director of Opera Factory, London. Since then he has worked regularly at Glyndebourne (including a recording of Peter Grimes), Welsh National Opera and English National Opera, and has conducted for Netherlands Opera, La Monnaie in Brussels, the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the Royal Opera House Covent Garden. For Opera Australia he has conducted Peter Grimes and Don Giovanni (also recorded for commercial release). His recordings have centred around an acclaimed Shostakovich symphony cycle. He has also recorded Mahler s Sixth and Tenth symphonies with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, music by Vaughan Williams and Britten with the SSO, and most recently the Brahms piano concertos with Stephen Hough and the Mozarteum Orchestra, Salzburg. In Australia he has worked regularly with the Sydney and Melbourne symphony orchestras and enjoys a special relationship with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. His most recent appearance with the SSO was in

20 Michael Mulcahy trombone Michael Mulcahy began studying trombone with his father, Jack Mulcahy, and completed his studies with Baden McCarron of the SSO and Geoffrey Bailey at the Sydney Conservatorium. His orchestral career began in 1976 as principal trombone of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra; the following year he was appointed principal of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. In 1980 he was the Other Instruments winner in the ABC Instrumental and Vocal Competition. He left Australia in 1981 to pursue his career in Europe, where he became solo trombone of the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra. In 1989 Georg Solti appointed him to his current post with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; since then he has served three CSO music directors: Daniel Barenboim, Bernard Haitink and Riccardo Muti. He is also principal trombone with the Australian World Orchestra and the Grand Teton Music Festival (where he also regularly conducts), and he has appeared as a concerto soloist with orchestras worldwide. Michael Mulcahy made his solo debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Daniel Barenboim in Leopold Mozart s Alto Trombone Concerto. Other solo appearances include music of Elliott Carter with the CSO and Pierre Boulez, as well as with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Hilversum Radio Symphony Orchestra and the MSO. He is the winner of several international competitions, including the ARD International Music Competition in Munich, the Viotti International Competition in Italy and the International Instrumental Competition in Markneukirchen, in the former East Germany. He was named Senior Lecturer of the Canberra School of Music at the Australian National University in 1987, in 1999 he was appointed Professor of Music at Northwestern University, and in 2016 he became a visiting artist for the Australian National Academy of Music. He has been an Artist in Residence at Indiana University, and the Wiley Housewright Scholar at Florida State University, and regularly appears at universities worldwide. He has also taught and conducted at Daniel Barenboim s East West Divan workshop for young Arab and Israeli musicians in Seville, and every July leads his Summer Trombone Performance Master Class at Northwestern University. Michael Mulcahy is a regular visitor to Australia and his most recent appearance with the SSO was as the conductor of a brass program in

21 SYDNEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA DAVID ROBERTSON THE LOWY CHAIR OF CHIEF CONDUCTOR AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR PATRON Professor The Hon. Dame Marie Bashir ad cvo Founded in 1932 by the Australian Broadcasting Commission, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra has evolved into one of the world s finest orchestras as Sydney has become one of the world s great cities. Resident at the iconic Sydney Opera House, the SSO also performs in venues throughout Sydney and regional New South Wales, and international tours to Europe, Asia and the USA have earned the orchestra worldwide recognition for artistic excellence. Well on its way to becoming the premier orchestra of the Asia Pacific region, the SSO has toured China on four occasions, and in 2014 won the arts category in the Australian Government s inaugural Australia-China Achievement Awards, recognising ground-breaking work in nurturing the cultural and artistic relationship between the two nations. The orchestra s first chief conductor was Sir Eugene Goossens, appointed in 1947; he was followed by Nicolai Malko, Dean Dixon, Moshe Atzmon, Willem van Otterloo, Louis Frémaux, Sir Charles Mackerras, Zdeněk Mácal, Stuart Challender, Edo de Waart and Gianluigi Gelmetti. Vladimir Ashkenazy was Principal Conductor from 2009 to The orchestra s history also boasts collaborations with legendary figures such as George Szell, Sir Thomas Beecham, Otto Klemperer and Igor Stravinsky. The SSO s award-winning Learning and Engagement program is central to its commitment to the future of live symphonic music, developing audiences and engaging the participation of young people. The orchestra promotes the work of Australian composers through performances, recordings and commissions. Recent premieres have included major works by Ross Edwards, Lee Bracegirdle, Gordon Kerry, Mary Finsterer, Nigel Westlake, Paul Stanhope and Georges Lentz, and recordings of music by Brett Dean have been released on both the BIS and SSO Live labels. Other releases on the SSO Live label, established in 2006, include performances conducted by Alexander Lazarev, Sir Charles Mackerras and David Robertson, as well as the complete Mahler symphonies conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy. This is David Robertson s fourth year as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director. 22

22 THE ORCHESTRA David Robertson THE LOWY CHAIR OF CHIEF CONDUCTOR AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Brett Dean ARTIST IN RESIDENCE SUPPORTED BY GEOFF AINSWORTH am & JOHANNA FEATHERSTONE Toby Thatcher ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR SUPPORTED BY RACHEL & GEOFFREY O CONOR AND SYMPHONY SERVICES INTERNATIONAL Andrew Haveron CONCERTMASTER FIRST VIOLINS Andrew Haveron CONCERTMASTER Sun Yi ASSOCIATE CONCERTMASTER Kirsten Williams ASSOCIATE CONCERTMASTER Fiona Ziegler ASSISTANT CONCERTMASTER Jenny Booth Brielle Clapson Sophie Cole Claire Herrick Georges Lentz Nicola Lewis Emily Long Alexandra Mitchell Alexander Norton Léone Ziegler Emily Qin Cristina Vaszilcsin Lerida Delbridge ASSISTANT CONCERTMASTER Amber Davis SECOND VIOLINS Kirsty Hilton Marina Marsden Marianne Broadfoot Rebecca Gill Emma Hayes Monique Irik Wendy Kong Stan W Kornel Benjamin Li Maja Verunica Victoria Bihun Elizabeth Jones Gemma Lee Bridget O Donnell Emma Jezek ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL Shuti Huang Nicole Masters VIOLAS Roger Benedict Tobias Breider Anne-Louise Comerford Sandro Costantino Rosemary Curtin Jane Hazelwood Stuart Johnson Justine Marsden Felicity Tsai Jacqueline Cronin Andrew Jezek Carl St. Jacques* Justin Williams ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL Graham Hennings Amanda Verner Leonid Volovelsky CELLOS Catherine Hewgill Edward King Leah Lynn ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL Kristy Conrau Fenella Gill Timothy Nankervis Elizabeth Neville Christopher Pidcock Adrian Wallis David Wickham Umberto Clerici DOUBLE BASSES Kees Boersma David Campbell Steven Larson Richard Lynn Jaan Pallandi Benjamin Ward Hamish Gullick* Alanna Jones Alex Henery FLUTES Emma Sholl A/ PRINCIPAL Carolyn Harris Kim Falconer Rosamund Plummer PRINCIPAL PICCOLO OBOES Diana Doherty David Papp Alexandre Oguey PRINCIPAL COR ANGLAIS Shefali Pryor CLARINETS Francesco Celata A/ PRINCIPAL Christopher Tingay Craig Wernicke PRINCIPAL BASS CLARINET BASSOONS Todd Gibson-Cornish Fiona McNamara Melissa Woodroffe Matthew Wilkie PRINCIPAL EMERITUS Noriko Shimada PRINCIPAL CONTRABASSOON HORNS Robert Johnson Geoffrey O Reilly PRINCIPAL 3RD Euan Harvey Marnie Sebire Jenny McLeod-Sneyd Ben Jacks Rachel Silver TRUMPETS David Elton Paul Goodchild Yosuke Matsui Anthony Heinrichs TROMBONES Scott Kinmont Nick Byrne Christopher Harris PRINCIPAL BASS TROMBONE Ronald Prussing TUBA Steve Rossé TIMPANI Richard Miller PERCUSSION Rebecca Lagos Mark Robinson Timothy Constable Ian Cleworth* Alison Pratt* HARP Louise Johnson Julie Kim* CELESTA Kate Golla* Bold = PRINCIPAL Bold Italics = ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL Italics = OFFSTAGE BAND = CONTRACT MUSICIAN * = GUEST MUSICIAN = SSO FELLOW Grey = PERMANENT MEMBER OF THE SYDNEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA NOT APPEARING IN THIS CONCERT The men s tails are hand tailored by Sydney s leading bespoke tailors, G.A. Zink & Sons. The men of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra are proudly outfitted by Van Heusen. 23

23 BEHIND THE SCENES Sydney Symphony Orchestra Board Terrey Arcus AM Chairman Andrew Baxter Ewen Crouch AM Catherine Hewgill Jennifer Hoy Rory Jeffes David Livingstone The Hon. Justice AJ Meagher Karen Moses John Vallance Sydney Symphony Orchestra Council Geoff Ainsworth AM Doug Battersby Christine Bishop The Hon. John Della Bosca MLC John C Conde AO Michael J Crouch AO Alan Fang Erin Flaherty Dr Stephen Freiberg Robert Joannides Simon Johnson Gary Linnane Helen Lynch AM David Maloney AM Justice Jane Mathews AO Danny May Jane Morschel Dr Eileen Ong Andy Plummer Deirdre Plummer Seamus Robert Quick Paul Salteri AM Sandra Salteri Juliana Schaeffer Fred Stein OAM John van Ogtrop Brian White Rosemary White HONORARY COUNCIL MEMBERS Ita Buttrose AO OBE Donald Hazelwood AO OBE Yvonne Kenny AM David Malouf AO Wendy McCarthy AO Dene Olding Leo Schofield AM Peter Weiss AO Anthony Whelan MBE Concertmasters Emeritus Donald Hazelwood AO OBE Dene Olding Sydney Symphony Orchestra Staff MANAGING DIRECTOR Rory Jeffes EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATOR Helen Maxwell ARTISTIC OPERATIONS DIRECTOR OF ARTISTIC PLANNING Raff Wilson ARTISTIC ADMINISTRATION MANAGER Eleasha Mah ARTIST LIAISON MANAGER Ilmar Leetberg TECHNICAL MEDIA PRODUCER Philip Powers Library Anna Cernik Victoria Grant Mary-Ann Mead LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR OF LEARNING & ENGAGEMENT Linda Lorenza EMERGING ARTISTS PROGRAM MANAGER Rachel McLarin EDUCATION MANAGER Amy Walsh Tim Walsh EDUCATION OFFICER Laura Andrew ORCHESTRA MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR OF ORCHESTRA MANAGEMENT Aernout Kerbert ORCHESTRA MANAGER Rachel Whealy ORCHESTRA COORDINATOR Rosie Marks-Smith OPERATIONS MANAGER Kerry-Anne Cook HEAD OF PRODUCTION Laura Daniel STAGE MANAGER Suzanne Large PRODUCTION COORDINATORS Elissa Seed Brendon Taylor HEAD OF COMMERCIAL PROGRAMMING Mark Sutcliffe SALES AND MARKETING DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING Mark J Elliott SENIOR SALES & MARKETING MANAGER Penny Evans MARKETING MANAGER, SUBSCRIPTION SALES Simon Crossley-Meates MARKETING MANAGER, CLASSICAL SALES Matthew Rive MARKETING MANAGER, CRM & DATABASE Matthew Hodge DATABASE ANALYST David Patrick SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Christie Brewster GRAPHIC DESIGNER Tessa Conn MARKETING MANAGER, DIGITAL & ONLINE Meera Gooley SENIOR ONLINE MARKETING COORDINATOR Jenny Sargant MARKETING COORDINATOR Doug Emery Box Office MANAGER OF BOX OFFICE SALES & OPERATIONS Lynn McLaughlin BOX OFFICE SALES & SYSTEMS MANAGER Emma Burgess CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES Rosie Baker Michael Dowling Shareeka Helaluddin Publications PUBLICATIONS EDITOR & MUSIC PRESENTATION MANAGER Yvonne Frindle EXTERNAL RELATIONS DIRECTOR OF EXTERNAL RELATIONS Yvonne Zammit Philanthropy HEAD OF PHILANTHROPY Rosemary Swift PHILANTHROPY MANAGER Jennifer Drysdale PATRONS EXECUTIVE Sarah Morrisby TRUSTS & FOUNDATIONS OFFICER Sally-Anne Biggins PHILANTHROPY COORDINATOR Claire Whittle Corporate Relations HEAD OF CORPORATE RELATIONS Patricia Noeppel-Detmold CORPORATE RELATIONS COORDINATOR Benjamin Moh Communications HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS Bridget Cormack PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER Caitlin Benetatos MULTIMEDIA CONTENT PRODUCER Daniela Testa BUSINESS SERVICES DIRECTOR OF FINANCE John Horn FINANCE MANAGER Ruth Tolentino ACCOUNTANT Minerva Prescott ACCOUNTS ASSISTANT Emma Ferrer PAYROLL OFFICER Laura Soutter PEOPLE AND CULTURE IN-HOUSE COUNSEL Michel Maree Hryce 24

24 SSO PATRONS Maestro s Circle Supporting the artistic vision of David Robertson, Chief Conductor and Artistic Director Peter Weiss AO Founding President & Doris Weiss Terrey Arcus AM Chairman & Anne Arcus Brian Abel Tom Breen & Rachel Kohn The Berg Family Foundation John C Conde AO Michael Crouch AO & Shanny Crouch Vicki Olsson Drs Keith & Eileen Ong Ruth & Bob Magid Roslyn Packer AC Kenneth R Reed AM David Robertson & Orli Shaham Penelope Seidler AM Mr Fred Street AM & Dorothy Street Brian White AO & Rosemary White Ray Wilson OAM in memory of the late James Agapitos OAM Anonymous (1) David Robertson Chair Patrons David Robertson The Lowy Chair of Chief Conductor and Artistic Director Andrew Haveron Concertmaster Vicki Olsson Chair Kees Boersma Principal Double Bass SSO Council Chair Francesco Celata Acting Principal Clarinet Karen Moses Chair Umberto Clerici Principal Cello Garry & Shiva Rich Chair Kristy Conrau Cello James Graham AM & Helen Graham Chair Timothy Constable Percussion Justice Jane Mathews AO Chair Lerida Delbridge Assistant Concertmaster Simon Johnson Chair Diana Doherty Principal Oboe John C Conde AO Chair Carolyn Harris Flute Dr Barry Landa Chair Jane Hazelwood Viola Bob & Julie Clampett Chair in memory of Carolyn Clampett Claire Herrick Violin Mary & Russell McMurray Chair Catherine Hewgill Principal Cello The Hon. Justice AJ & Mrs Fran Meagher Chair Scott Kinmont Associate Principal Trombone Audrey Blunden Chair Leah Lynn Assistant Principal Cello SSO Vanguard Chair With lead support from Taine Moufarrige, Seamus R Quick, and Chris Robertson & Katherine Shaw Nicole Masters Second Violin Nora Goodridge Chair Elizabeth Neville Cello Ruth & Bob Magid Chair Shefali Pryor Associate Principal Oboe Mrs Barbara Murphy Chair Mark Robinson Associate Principal Timpani Rodney Rosenblum Memorial Chair Emma Sholl Associate Principal Flute Robert & Janet Constable Chair Kirsten Williams Associate Concertmaster I Kallinikos Chair Long-term SSO subscriber Audrey Blunden first met Associate Principal Trombone Scott Kinmont when in search of a euphonium for her grandson to play. Since then the pair have become the best of friends, who love discussing the ins and outs of the trombone repertoire. n n n n n n n n n n FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE CHAIR PATRONS PROGRAM CALL (02) KEITH SAUNDERS 25

25 SSO PATRONS Learning & Engagement Foundations PHOTO: Keith Saunders Sydney Symphony Orchestra 2017 Fellows The Fellowship program receives generous support from the Estate of the late Helen MacDonnell Morgan fellowship patrons Robert Albert AO & Elizabeth Albert Flute Chair Christine Bishop Percussion Chair Sandra & Neil Burns Clarinet Chair In Memory of Matthew Krel Violin Chair Mrs T Merewether OAM Horn Chair Paul Salteri AM & Sandra Salteri Violin and Viola Chairs Mrs W Stening Cello Chairs June & Alan Woods Family Bequest Bassoon Chair Anonymous Oboe Chair Anonymous Trumpet Chair Anonymous Trombone Chair Anonymous Double Bass Chair fellowship supporting patrons Bronze Patrons & above Mr Stephen J Bell Dr Rebecca Chin The Greatorex Foundation Gabriel Lopata The Dr Lee MacCormick Edwards Charitable Foundation Drs Eileen & Keith Ong In Memory of Geoff White tuned-up! Bronze Patrons & above Antoinette Albert Anne Arcus & Terrey Arcus AM Ian & Jennifer Burton Darin Cooper Foundation Ian Dickson & Reg Holloway Drs Keith & Eileen Ong Tony Strachan Susan & Isaac Wakil major education donors Bronze Patrons & above Beverley & Phil Birnbaum Bob & Julie Clampett Howard & Maureen Connors Kimberley Holden Barbara Maidment Mr & Mrs Nigel Price Mr Dougall Squair Mr Robert & Mrs Rosemary Walsh Anonymous (1) Commissioning Circle Supporting the creation of new works ANZAC Centenary Arts and Culture Fund Geoff Ainsworth AM & Johanna Featherstone Dr Raji Ambikairajah Christine Bishop Jennifer Drysdale Dr John Edmonds Peter Howard Andrew Kaldor AM & Renata Kaldor AO Gary Linnane & Peter Braithwaite Gabriel Lopata Jane Mathews AO Mrs Barbara Murphy Nexus IT Vicki Olsson Edmund Ong Caroline & Tim Rogers Geoff Stearn Rosemary Swift Dr Richard T White Anonymous Patrons allow us to dream of projects, and then share them with others. What could be more rewarding? DAVID ROBERTSON SSO Chief Conductor and Artistic Director BECOME A PATRON TODAY. Call: (02) philanthropy@sydneysymphony.com 26

26 SSO Bequest Society Honouring the legacy of Stuart Challender Warwick K Anderson Henri W Aram OAM & Robin Aram Timothy Ball Stephen J Bell Christine Bishop Mr David & Mrs Halina Brett R Burns Howard Connors Greta Davis Glenys Fitzpatrick Dr Stephen Freiberg Jennifer Fulton Brian Galway Michele Gannon-Miller Miss Pauline M Griffin AM Stuart Challender, SSO Chief Conductor and Artistic Director bequest donors We gratefully acknowledge donors who have left a bequest to the SSO The late Mrs Lenore Adamson Estate of Carolyn Clampett Estate of Jonathan Earl William Clark Estate of Colin T Enderby Estate of Mrs E Herrman Estate of Irwin Imhof The late Mrs Isabelle Joseph The Estate of Dr Lynn Joseph Estate of Matthew Krel Estate of Helen MacDonnell Morgan The late Greta C Ryan Estate of Rex Foster Smart June & Alan Woods Family Bequest John Lam-Po-Tang Peter Lazar AM Daniel Lemesle Ardelle Lohan Linda Lorenza Louise Miller James & Elsie Moore Vincent Kevin Morris & Desmond McNally Mrs Barbara Murphy Douglas Paisley Kate Roberts Dr Richard Spurway Mary Vallentine AO Ray Wilson OAM Anonymous (35) n n n n n n n n n n IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ON MAKING A BEQUEST TO THE SSO, PLEASE CONTACT OUR PHILANTHROPY TEAM ON Playing Your Part The Sydney Symphony Orchestra gratefully acknowledges the music lovers who donate to the orchestra each year. Each gift plays an important part in ensuring our continued artistic excellence and helping to sustain important education and regional touring programs. DIAMOND PATRONS $50,000 and above Geoff Ainsworth AM & Johanna Featherstone Anne Arcus & Terrey Arcus AM The Berg Family Foundation Tom Breen & Rachael Kohn Mr John C Conde AO Mr Frank Lowy AC & Mrs Shirley Lowy OAM Vicki Olsson Roslyn Packer AC Kenneth R Reed AM Paul Salteri AM & Sandra Salteri Peter Weiss AO & Doris Weiss Mr Brian White AO & Mrs Rosemary White PLATINUM PATRONS $30,000 $49,999 Robert & Janet Constable Michael Crouch AO & Shanny Crouch Ruth & Bob Magid Justice Jane Mathews AO David Robertson & Orli Shaham Mrs W Stening Susan & Isaac Wakil Anonymous (1) GOLD PATRONS $20,000 $29,999 Brian Abel Antoinette Albert Robert Albert AO & Elizabeth Albert Doug & Alison Battersby Bennelong Arts Foundation Christine Bishop Sandra & Neil Burns Mr Andrew Kaldor AM & Mrs Renata Kaldor AO I Kallinikos Russell & Mary McMurray Mrs T Merewether OAM Karen Moses Rachel & Geoffrey O Conor Drs Keith & Eileen Ong Mrs Penelope Seidler AM Mr Fred Street AM & Mrs Dorothy Street Ray Wilson OAM in memory of James Agapitos OAM Anonymous (1) SILVER PATRONS $10,000 $19,999 Ainsworth Foundation Audrey Blunden Dr Hannes & Mrs Barbara Boshoff Mr Robert & Mrs L Alison Carr The Hon. Ashley Dawson-Damer Ian Dickson & Reg Holloway Edward & Diane Federman Nora Goodridge Mr James Graham AM & Mrs Helen Graham Mr Ross Grant Kimberley Holden Dr Gary Holmes & Dr Anne Reeckmann Jim & Kim Jobson Stephen Johns & Michele Bender Simon Johnson Dr Barry Landa Marianne Lesnie Helen Lynch AM & Helen Bauer Susan Maple-Brown AM Judith A McKernan The Hon. Justice A J Meagher & Mrs Fran Meagher Mr John Morschel Andy & Deirdre Plummer Garry & Shiva Rich Sylvia Rosenblum Rod Sims & Alison Pert Tony Strachan Judy & Sam Weiss Caroline Wilkinson Kim Williams AM & Catherine Dovey June & Alan Woods Family Bequest Anonymous (2) BRONZE PATRONS $5,000 $9,999 Dr Raji Ambikairajah Stephen J Bell Beverley & Phil Birnbaum Boyarsky Family Trust Daniel & Drina Brezniak Mrs P M Bridges OBE Ian & Jennifer Burton Lionel Chan Dr Diana Choquette Bob & Julie Clampett Howard Connors Darin Cooper Foundation Ewen Crouch AM & Catherine Crouch 27